Method and apparatus for establishing and managing vending machine subscriptions

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for registering a subscription to purchase a plurality of items dispensed by a vending machine. According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method and apparatus are disclosed for dispensing an item by a vending machine in response to a request to redeem at least a portion of a registered subscription. According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method and apparatus are disclosed for dispensing an item by a vending machine based on an estimated availability determined through an analysis of stored subscription data

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 08/966,608 filed Nov. 10, 1997.

The present invention is related to the following United States PatentApplication: "Method and Apparatus for Dynamically Managing VendingMachine Prices," U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/947,798 filed Oct.9, 1997, assigned to the assignee of the present invention andincorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to vending machines. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatusfor establishing and managing subscriptions to purchase items from avending machine.

2. Description of the Related Art

Vending machines are well known and have existed since the late 1880s.Some of the first vending machines were rudimentary devices primarilydesigned to dispense cigarettes and postcards. Modem vending machinesare employed to store and dispense a vast array of merchandise inresponse to a customer request and appropriate payment Such merchandiseincludes drinks, candy, frozen deserts, snacks, video tapes andchildren's toys.

Many vending machines are located in factories, office buildings,bowling alleys and other locations that repeat customers regularlyfrequent. Vending machine operators have found that by locating avending machine in a high traffic area that is regularly frequented bythe same customers, they can not only take advantage of habitual sales,but also take advantage of brand loyalty.

Although machine location, machine loyalty and brand loyalty influencethe amount of revenue generated by a vending machine, vending machineoperators are confronted with a number of problems which are notadequately addressed by the prior art. One such problem is predictingsales and determining how to stock a particular machine. Althoughhabitual sales and brand loyalty help keep vending machine salesconstant, there is no assurance that the regular customers won'tpurchase their favorite brand from another source. Another problem withprior art vending machines is the inability to complete a sale with acustomer who has little or no cash. Yet another problem with the priorart is the inability to reward a customer for regularly frequenting themachine or for purchasing products in bulk over a predetermined timeperiod.

The prior art has attempted to address the problem of predicting salesand determining stock quantities by providing vending machine managementsoftware. One such software product is "Windows for Vending PRO withInventory" produced by VendMaster. This product enables a vendingmachine operator to report and analyze various historical sales data.VendMaster's product is intended to enhance a vending machine operator'sability to identify high-demand inventory, determine preferable times tostock the machine, and calculate suggested prices.

The VendMaster software, like other attempts to solve the problems ofpredicting sales and selecting products, utilizes historical sales datato estimate future sales. Using the VendMaster software, a vendingmachine operator has no assurance that historical trends will continue.A need, therefore, exists for a method or apparatus for more reliablydetermining future stocking requirements for a vending machine.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,008,792 of Levasseur et al. and 4,498,570 of King etal. attempt to solve the problem of providing bulk discounts to vendingmachine customers. Levasseur et al. discloses a control circuit for avending machine that enables the vending machine to vend different itemscosting different amounts and in different quantities at a quantitydiscount. King et al. discloses a switching device for establishing afirst price for a first item sold during a sales transaction and forestablishing at least a second price for additional items sold in thesame transaction. While these patents generally disclose enablingquantity discounts at a vending machine, they fail to solve thepreviously described problems facing vending machine operators. Asignificant shortcoming of these patents is that they both require acustomer to take delivery of the bulk purchase at the time of the sale.

The prior art vending machines have attempted to address the problem ofa user's shortage of change by providing local change machines, storedvalue card dispensers and magnetic stripe readers. These attemptedsolutions enable a vending machine to accept alternative modes ofpayment for products purchased from a vending machine. Change machinesgenerally allow customers with paper currency to convert their smalldenomination bills into coinage. Stored value card dispensers andmagnetic stripe readers allow users to use stored value cards andconventional credit cards to purchase products from a vending machine.

These approaches fail to completely abate the loss of potentialcustomers. Specifically, prior art solutions have not addressed the lossof a sale to a regular customer who would make a purchase but for animmediate shortage of cash. Solutions employing stored value carddispensers and readers not only require a customer to carry a physicalobject in order to complete a purchase, but also present significantcounterfeit and fraud issues. Magnetic stripe readers configured toaccept conventional credit cards have the same problem, but are furtherlimited by the sophisticated equipment and network connections that arerequired for proper validation. In addition, cards may be easily lost orstolen.

A need therefore exists for a method and apparatus that providesconsumers additional payment options for vending machine purchases. Aneed further exists for a method and apparatus that allows consumers whomake frequent purchases at a vending machine to receive items withoutdepositing currency or presenting a physical form of payment every timea customer requests a purchased item. A need also exists for a methodand apparatus for more accurately and efficiently managing andpredicting inventory of a vending machine.

Accordingly, the shortcomings associated with the related art haveheretofore not been adequately addressed. The present inventionaddresses such problems by providing an apparatus and processingapproach that have not previously been proposed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for registering asubscription to purchase a plurality of items dispensed by a vendingmachine. According to the method of the present invention, the apparatusreceives an indication of payment for the subscription and a request toregister the subscription. During the registration process, theapparatus determines a redemption code that may be used to redeem itemsassociated with the subscription. The apparatus then stores subscriptionregistration data including the determined redemption code.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there isdisclosed a method and apparatus for dispensing an item by a vendingmachine. The method includes the steps of receiving, by the apparatus, arequest to redeem an item that is associated with a subscription and aredemption code corresponding to the item. The method also includes thestep of updating subscription registration data associated with theredemption code to reflect the request to redeem the item. The methodconcludes with the step of dispensing the requested item.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method forprocessing non-subscription transactions is disclosed. An apparatus forimplementing the above described method is also disclosed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method andapparatus for establishing and managing subscriptions for purchasingproducts from a vending machine. Another object of the present inventionis to provide a method and apparatus for processing single item sales tocustomers based on inventory forecasts which compensate for registeredsubscriptions. The above object and other objects features andadvantages are readily apparent from the detailed description when takenin connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the attendantadvantages thereof may be readily obtained by reference to the followingdetailed description when considered with the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a vending machine according to oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a schematic block diagram illustrating the components of thevending machine of FIG. 1A according to one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the components inconnection with the processing module of the vending machine of FIG. 1A;

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate exemplary output displayed on an outputdevice of the vending machine of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 4 is a table illustrating the structure of a subscription optiontable stored in the memory of the vending machine of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a table illustrating the structure of a subscriptionregistration table stored in the memory of the vending machine of FIG.2;

FIG. 6 is a table illustrating the structure of an inventory tablestored in the memory of the vending machine of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating the computer implemented steps usedto register a subscription to purchase items from the vending machine ofFIG. 1;

FIGS. 8A and 8B contain a flow chart illustrating the computerimplemented steps used to validate a subscription registration request;

FIG. 9 is a flow chart illustrating the computer implemented steps usedto process the redemption of an item, pursuant to an outstandingsubscription, from the vending machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the computer implemented steps usedto verify a subscription redemption.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating the computer implemented steps usedto process a purchase of a single item from the vending machine of FIG.1;

FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating the computer implemented steps usedto evaluate the inventory of a product in the vending machine of FIG. 1;and

FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating the computer implemented steps usedto maintain the subscription table of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Apparatus Architecture

An embodiment of the method and apparatus of the present invention willnow be discussed with reference to FIGS. 1-10. FIGS. 1A-3B illustratethe components of one exemplary vending machine 100 including thefeatures of the present invention. Although specific exemplary vendingmachine 100 is referred to throughout the detailed description, thepresent invention is directed to any automatic sales machine that allowspayment to be exchanged for goods. Payment can be presented through avariety of media including, but not limited to, coins, bills and othercurrencies, magnetic stripe cards, smart cards (whether pre-paid orlinked to an account) and identification codes. FIG. 1A is a perspectiveview of vending machine 100; FIG. 1B is a schematic block diagram ofvending machine 100; and FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of theprocessing module of vending machine 100.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, vending machine 100 is a "bubble front"vending machine similar to Vendo model 392140004. Vending machine 100includes an input device 110 for receiving input from a customerincluding a product selection, a subscription selection, a redemptioncode and credit information. Input device 110 may also be used forreceiving input from an operator during stocking or maintenance ofvending machine 100. Although input device 110, as illustrated, includesa set of alpha-numeric keys for providing input to vending machine 100,input device could include a selector dial, a set of buttons associatedwith a respective set of item dispensers, or any other conventionalinput device commonly employed by a vending machine designer. Further,vending machine 100 may include more than one input device 110. Forexample, vending machine 100 may include an exterior input device 110for receiving customer input and an interior input device (not shown)for receiving operator input. In the illustrated embodiment, inputdevice 110 receives input data from both operators and customers.

Vending machine 100 also includes several mechanisms for receivingpayment and dispensing change, including coin acceptor 112, billvalidator 114, magnetic stripe reader 116 and change dispenser 118.Magnetic stripe reader 116 is a conventional reader for reading data onthe magnetic stripe of a credit or debit card, and it may cooperate withconventional remote point-of-sale credit card processing equipment (notshown) to validate credit based purchases through a conventional creditauthorization network. Coin acceptor 112, bill validator 114 and changedispenser 118 communicate with currency storage apparatus 120 and may beconventional devices such as Mars models AE-2400, MC5000, TRC200 orCoinCo model 9300-L. Coin acceptor 112 and bill validator 114 receiveand validate currency that is stored by currency storage apparatus 120.

Referring now to FIGS. 1B and 2, coin acceptor 112, bill validator 114,magnetic stripe reader 116 and change dispenser 118 communicate with,and are controlled by, processing module 144. Processing module 144includes communication port 142 for communicating with a centralcontroller via a network (not shown).

In addition to the elements previously mentioned, processing module 144includes a central processing unit 126 ("CPU") connected tocommunication port 142. CPU 126 communicates with random access memory(RAM) 128, read only memory (ROM) 130, clock 132 and storage device 134.CPU 126 also communicates with at least one item dispenser 122 and atleast one display 124. Display 124 is preferably a liquid crystaldisplay ("LCD") or a light emitting diode ("LED") display such as thedisplay employed by vending machine model #631 manufactured by FastCorp.Display 124 may provide a static message or a scrolling message so as toprovide extensive information using a relatively small display area.

As shown, vending machine 100 includes a single item dispenser 122 anddisplay 124. Other vending machines, having multiple item dispensers andmultiple displays may be employed to practice the present invention withminor design modifications. As in many conventional vending machines,item dispenser 122 may be activated by CPU 126 after a customer haspurchased an item, causing the item to be transferred to receptacle 140,as illustrated in FIG. 1A. A customer has access to a purchased item inreceptacle 140 via door 138. Purchased item can then be removed by acustomer from receptacle 140 through door 138.

As shown in FIG. 2, storage device 134 stores a database of inventoryand subscription management data, including a subscription option table400, a subscription registration table 500 and an inventory table 600.Tables 400, 500 and 600 comprise at least a portion of the data storedby storage device 134 and are described more fully with reference toFIGS. 4, 5 and 6, respectively. Storage device 134 further includesinstructions for implementing the process steps of the presentinvention. Specifically, storage device 134 includes subscriptionregistration process instructions 700, subscription redemption processinstructions 900, non-subscription purchase process instructions 1100and periodic maintenance process instructions 1300. Storage device 134is preferably a magnetic disk drive, but could be a CD-ROM drive,optical disk drive, RAM drive or any other conventional storage deviceas would be deemed appropriate by one of ordinary skill in the art.

FIG. 3A illustrates an exemplary output of display 124. As shown, theillustrated output sets forth the terms of the various subscriptionsavailable using vending machine 100. FIG. 3B illustrates the output ofdisplay 124 after registering a subscription. These and other outputmessages are described more fully with reference to the process stepsdescribed below.

Data Tables

FIG. 4 illustrates the contents of an exemplary subscription optiontable 400 in tabular format. Each record of subscription option table400 defines the terms of a valid subscription to purchase merchandisefrom vending machine 100. Subscription option table 400 includessubscription identifier field 410 containing data that uniquelyidentifies a subscription record. Subscription option table 400 furtherincludes a subscription price field 414 for storing the price of thesubscription, a subscription duration field 416 for storing the amountof time for which the subscription is valid, and a subscription quantityfield 418 for storing the number of items that can be purchased with thesubscription.

Although the preferred fields of subscription option table 400 areillustrated in FIG. 4, other alternatives are possible. For example,according to one variation, the data stored in subscription price fieldcould represent a unit price instead of the total price of thesubscription. This would emphasize the per unit discount for purchasingin bulk. According to another variation, subscription option table 400may include a product identifier field in order to customizesubscription prices according to specific products.

FIG. 5 illustrates the contents of an exemplary subscriptionregistration table 500. Each record of subscription registration table500 represents a registered subscription purchased by a customer ofvending machine 100. Subscription registration table 500 is indexed bythe contents of redemption code field 510 that uniquely identifies aregistered subscription. Subscription registration table 500 includesproduct identifier field 512 for storing a product identifier associatedwith the registered subscription. Subscription start date field 514 andsubscription expiration date field 516 store data defining the term ofthe subscription. Of course, multiple expiration dates could be storedto encourage a more predictable redemption schedule resulting in betterinventory management. Quantity remaining field 518 stores the number ofitems available under the registered subscription, and subscriptionstatus field 520 stores data that defines whether the subscription isstill valid. Although the preferred embodiment associates a specificproduct with a registered subscription via product identifier field 512,the present invention may be used to provide subscriptions that are notlinked to a specific product. Of course, such an embodiment would notrequire field 512.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there is illustrated an exemplary inventorytable 600. Each record of inventory table 600 represents inventory dataassociated with an item dispenser 122 of vending machine 100. Thecontents of dispenser identifier field 610 uniquely identify an itemdispenser 122 associated with a record of table 600. Product identifierfield 612 stores a product identifier defining the product dispensed bythe item dispenser 122 identified by the contents of field 610. Field614 stores data defining the number of items available for sale from thedispenser. Field 616 defines the non-subscription price of each itemassociated with the dispenser. Demand rate field 618 stores the rate ofdemand for items associated with the dispenser, and re-stock date field620 defines the date on which the dispenser is scheduled to bere-stocked. Alternatively, the re-stock date field 620 could be replacedor supplemented with a field used to define an expiration date for aproduct.

Process Steps

Having thus described the system architecture and components of thepresent embodiment, the operation of the system will now be described ingreater detail with reference to FIGS. 7-13 and continuing reference toFIGS. 1-6. It is to be understood that the software instructionsnecessary to provide the functionality described herein are preferablystored in storage device 134 of vending machine 100, but may be storedin ROM 130.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a flowchart is depicted illustrating the stepsof subscription registration process instructions 700. The exemplarysubscription registration process includes the step of displayingsubscription options available for purchase. The step of displaying,identified by reference numeral 710, may be accomplished using a flyer,a pre-printed sign or other collateral material associated with vendingmachine 100 or it may be accomplished electronically via display 124.

At step 712, vending machine 100 receives payment via coin acceptor 112,bill validator 114 or magnetic stripe reader 116. Alternatively, paymentcould be accomplished via input device 110 by receiving user input of apredefined debit or credit account number. Regardless of the form ofpayment, an indication of payment receipt is transmitted to CPU 126.

The subscription registration process further includes the step ofreceiving a request to purchase a subscription, as indicated by step714. The request to purchase the subscription includes an identificationof the subscription option to be purchased. In the present embodiment,identification of the subscription is accomplished simply by receiving asubscription identifier, such as "*2," that identifies the terms of thesubscription via input device 110. The user then presses a buttonidentifying the product to be associated with the subscription. Inalternate embodiments, the user may be required to input the specificterms of the desired subscription, including a product identifier, apayment amount, and a quantity.

At step 716, CPU 126 verifies the request to purchase the subscription.The step of verifying the request to purchase the subscription mayinclude a number of sub-steps, including validating that the receivedsubscription identifier matches a subscription identifier stored infield 410 of subscription option table 400, that the received payment issufficient to purchase the identified subscription, and that vendingmachine 100 can support the identified subscription based on presentdemand for the subscribed product. These sub-steps are described morefully with reference to FIGS. 8A and 8B.

After verifying the validity of the subscription request, CPU 126generates a redemption code associated with the subscription, as shownby step 718. The generated redemption code could be a personalidentification number ("PIN") received from the customer, a numberdetermined by CPU 126 according to registration process instructions,the customer's credit card number, or any other unique identificationcode. At step 719, CPU 126 calculates the subscription expiration dateusing the current system date/time and the subscription duration storedin field 416 of the subscription option table record associated with theselected subscription. It should be understood that although a singleexpiration date is illustrated, a subscription may have multipleexpiration dates, such as an expiration date for each item to beredeemed.

At step 720, the subscription status field 520 is populated to indicatea status of "active". At step 721, subscription registration data,preferably including the generated redemption code, a productidentifier, a quantity remaining, a subscription start date and asubscription expiration date, is stored in storage device 134. Finally,the subscription registration process concludes with step 722 in whichthe generated redemption code is output to the subscriber via display124. Alternatively, the redemption code could be printed on a paperreceipt or provided in audio form.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate the sub-steps of the subscription requestvalidation process represented by reference numeral 716. This process isperformed to ensure the validity of the subscription to be registered.At sub-step 810, CPU 126 compares the received subscription identifierto the subscription identifiers stored in subscription option table 400.As indicated by decision block 812, if there is no match CPU 126 causesdisplay 124 to display a message indicating that the enteredsubscription identifier is invalid (step 814). If the receivedsubscription identifier is valid, the data in the associatedsubscription option record is retrieved (step 816).

At block 818, the payment received is compared to the value stored insubscription price field 414 of the retrieved record. If the receivedpayment is insufficient to pay for the identified subscription, decisionblock 820 directs CPU 126 to execute step 822 and display a messageindicating the insufficiency of payment to the buyer via display 124. Ifthe received payment is sufficient, CPU 126 executes step 824 andretrieves the data in the associated inventory record from table 600.

At step 826, CPU 126 determines the number of days until the nextrestocking. At step 828, CPU 126 determines the number of items likelyto be redeemed until the restocking based on the demand rate stored infield 618 of inventory table 600. These sub-steps are performed toensure that sufficient inventory is available to support the requestedsubscription in view of all of the outstanding subscriptions as well asthe likely non-subscription sales. If the number of items likely to beredeemed is greater than the available inventory (determined at step830), CPU 126 executes step 832 and directs display 124 to display amessage indicating that the subscription is not available. Customers arethus spared the inconvenience of using the vending machine for asubscription redemption only to find that the machine is out ofinventory.

The subscription request evaluation process described by FIGS. 8A and 8Bis only one exemplary embodiment of such a process. The illustratedprocess is designed to provide a subscription only if the presentinventory is likely to support the registered subscriptions and theforecasted non-subscription sales. This process values forecastednon-subscription sales, which typically have a higher profit margin,over subscription sales. Of course, if a vending machine operator valuedsubscriptions sales, which are pre-paid and enable more predictableinventory management, over non-subscription sales, the process could beeasily modified so as to only consider registered subscriptions inforecasting available inventory.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a flowchart is depicted illustrating the stepsof subscription item redemption process instructions 900. The exemplarysubscription redemption process includes the step of receiving a requestto redeem a subscribed product as indicated by reference numeral 910,for example by a customer entering "22516" into input device 110. In thepresent embodiment, the request to redeem the subscribed productincludes a previously registered redemption code. At step 912, the stepof verifying the validity of the received redemption code isillustrated. Step 912 may include a variety of sub-steps including:verifying that the received redemption code matches a previouslyregistered redemption code stored in field 510 of subscriptionregistration table 500, ensuring that the subscription identified by thereceived redemption code has not expired, and verifying that vendingmachine 100 has not sold out of the product associated with the receivedredemption code. These sub-steps are described more fully with referenceto FIG. 10.

At steps 914 and 916, respectively, CPU 126 updates the subscriptionregistration data and the inventory data associated with the redemption.When the subscription registration data is updated to reflect theredemption, CPU 126 decrements the value stored in quantity remainingfield 518. If the value of quantity remaining field 518 is zero, or iffield 516 stores a subscription expiration date that is chronologicallyprior to the system date/time, CPU 126 updates subscription status field520 to reflect the expiration of the subscription registration.Preferably, if the subscription registration expires, CPU 126 causesdisplay 124 to provide a message to the subscriber indicating theexpiration of the subscription. At the conclusion of the redemptionprocess, CPU 126 updates available inventory field 614 of inventorytable 600, and at step 918, CPU 126 activates item dispenser 122 tocomplete the redemption.

FIG. 10 illustrates the sub-steps of the subscription item redemptionvalidation process represented by reference numeral 912. At sub-step1010, CPU 126 compares the received redemption code to the redemptioncodes stored in field 510 of subscription registration table 500. Asindicated by decision block 1012, if there is no match CPU 126 executesstep 1014 and causes display 124 to display a message indicating thatthe input redemption code is invalid. The user may then be prompted toreenter the code. If the received redemption code is valid, the data inthe associated subscription registration record is retrieved as shown atblock 1016.

At step 1018, CPU 126 determines whether the identified subscriptionregistration has expired. This is accomplished by accessing the systemdate/time and comparing it to the date/time stored in field 516 ofsubscription table 500 for the associated subscription registrationrecord. If the system date/time is later than the stored expirationdate/time, the subscription has expired, and decision block 1020 directsCPU 126 to execute step 1022 and display a message indicating theexpiration of the subscription registration to the customer via display124.

FIG. 11 illustrates the steps of exemplary non-subscription purchaseprocess instructions 1100. At step 1110, the non-subscription purchaseprocess begins when CPU 126 receives an indication of payment from coinacceptor 112, bill validator 114 or magnetic stripe reader 116. At step1112, CPU 126 receives a request to purchase a product. The request topurchase the product includes an identification of the product. In thepresent embodiment, the purchaser is required to input a productidentifier via input device 110. Of course, the requested product couldbe identified in other ways such as by requiring the purchaser to pressa particular button associated with one of many product dispensers.

At step 1114, CPU 126 uses the received product identifier to retrieveinventory data associated with the identified product. At step 1116, CPU126 employs inventory management techniques to evaluate the inventorydata associated with the identified product. Specifically, CPU 126executes the sub-steps described more fully with reference to FIG. 12 toanalyze forecasted demand for an item to ensure that the currentinventory of the identified product meets the demand of the registeredsubscriptions. At decision block 1118, if vending machine 100 holdssufficient inventory to complete the requested non-subscriptionpurchase, CPU 126 processes steps 1122 and 1124. If vending machine 100does not hold sufficient inventory to complete the requestednon-subscription purchase, CPU 126 causes display 126 to output amessage indicating "insufficient inventory." (step 1120) In thepreferred embodiment, the customer would then be prompted for analternate product selection.

At step 1122, CPU 126 updates the inventory data associated with therequested product in field 614 of inventory table 600 to reflect thepurchase and stores the updated data in storage device 134. At step1124, the product is dispensed via dispenser 122, and the process isterminated.

FIG. 12 illustrates the sub-steps of the inventory management evaluationprocess represented by reference numeral 1116. At sub-step 1210, CPU 126determines the total number of subscription items likely to be redeemedprior to the restocking date based on the demand rate stored ininventory table 600. As shown by step 1212, CPU 126 then determines anadjusted inventory value representing the remaining inventory if thenon-subscription purchase should be completed. The adjusted inventory iscalculated by subtracting the requested quantity of the item from thevalue stored in available inventory field 614. At step 1214, CPU 126compares the adjusted inventory to the total number of subscriptionitems likely to be redeemed. This comparison determines whether thenon-subscription purchase should be completed in view of the inventoryitems reserved for subscription customers.

Referring now to FIG. 13, there is illustrated the steps of exemplaryperiodic subscription maintenance process 1300. At step 1310, CPU 126retrieves the current date and time from clock 132. At steps 1312 and1314, CPU retrieves a record from subscription registration table 500and compares the contents of subscription expiration date field 516 tothe current date retrieved at step 1310. At decision block 1316, ifsubscription expiration date field 516 contains a date earlier than thecurrent date, CPU 126 updates subscription status field 520 to indicatethat the subscription associated with the record has expired step(1318). The subscription registration record is then archived in storagedevice 134 for later auditing.

While the best mode for carrying out the invention has been described indetail, those familiar with the art to which the invention relates willrecognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing theinvention. These alternative embodiments are within the scope of thepresent invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present inventionembodies the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for purchasing a subscription for aplurality of items of a product from a vending machine, the methodcomprising the steps of:providing payment for said subscription;transmitting a request to purchase said subscription; andreceiving aredemption code.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein said request topurchase includes an indication of said product and a quantity.
 3. Themethod of claim 1 wherein said step of providing payment include thestep of inputting currency.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein said stepof providing includes the step of inputting credit data.
 5. A method forredeeming an item from a vending machine, the method comprising thesteps of:providing payment for a subscription for a plurality of theitems, the subscription being associated with a redemption code;transmitting to the vending machine a request to redeem the item;transmitting to the vending machine the redemption code; and receivingfrom the vending machine the item.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein saidrequest to redeem said item includes said redemption code.
 7. A methodfor processing a purchase, comprising:receiving payment for asubscription for a plurality of items; storing subscription data,including a redemption code associated with the subscription; receivingthe redemption code at a vending machine; dispensing at least one of theplurality of items from the vending machine; and updating the storedsubscription data.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said receivingpayment comprises receiving a debit or credit account number.
 9. Themethod of claim 7, wherein the subscription data further comprises aproduct identifier.
 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the subscriptiondata further comprises a quantity.
 11. The method of claim 7, whereinthe subscription data further comprises an expiration date.
 12. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the subscription data further comprises aplurality of expiration dates.
 13. The method of claim 7, wherein saidreceiving payment for the subscription further comprises receiving theredemption code from a user.
 14. The method of claim 7, wherein saidreceiving payment for the subscription further comprises providing theredemption code to a user.
 15. The method of claim 7, wherein thesubscription for the plurality of items comprises a subscription for aplurality of different products.
 16. The method of claim 7, wherein theredemption code comprises a debit or credit account number.
 17. Themethod of claim 7, further comprising:verifying the received redemptioncode.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein said verifyingcomprises:verifying that the received redemption code matches one of aplurality of stored redemption codes.
 19. The method of claim 17,wherein said verifying comprises:verifying that a subscriptionassociated with the received redemption code has not expired.
 20. Themethod of claim 17, wherein said verifying comprises:verifying inventoryinformation with respect to a product associated with the receivedredemption code.
 21. A method for processing a purchase,comprising:receiving payment for a subscription for a plurality ofitems; storing subscription data, including a redemption code associatedwith the subscription; receiving the redemption code at a vendingmachine; dispensing at least one of the plurality of items from thevending machine; and updating the stored subscription data.
 22. Anapparatus for processing a purchase, comprising:a processor; and astorage device coupled to said processor and storing instructionsadapted to be executed by said processor to:receive an indication ofpayment for a subscription for a plurality of items; store subscriptiondata, including a redemption code associated with the subscription;receive the redemption code from a user; dispense at least one of theplurality of items from a vending machine; and update the storedsubscription data.
 23. A medium storing instructions adapted to beexecuted by a processor to perform a method for processing a purchase,said method comprising:receiving an indication of payment for asubscription for a plurality of items; storing subscription data,including a redemption code associated with the subscription; receivingthe redemption code; dispensing at least one of the plurality of itemsfrom a vending machine; and updating the stored subscription data.
 24. Asystem allowing the purchase of a subscription for a plurality of itemsof a product from a device, comprising:means for providing payment forsaid subscription; means for transmitting a request to purchase saidsubscription; and means for receiving a redemption code.
 25. The systemof claim 24, further comprising means for evaluating the validity ofsaid redemption code.
 26. The system of claim 24, wherein said requestto purchase includes an indication of said product and a quantity.
 27. Adevice for redeeming an item, comprising:means for providing payment fora subscription for a plurality of the items, the subscription beingassociated with a redemption code; means for transmitting to the devicea request to redeem the item; means for transmitting to the device theredemption code corresponding to the item; and means for receiving theitem from the device.
 28. A system for processing a purchase,comprising:means for receiving payment for a subscription for aplurality of items; means for storing subscription data, including aredemption code associated with the subscription; means for receivingthe redemption code at a device; dispensing at least one of theplurality of items from the device; and updating the stored subscriptiondata.
 29. The system of claim 28, wherein said means for receivingpayment comprises means for receiving a credit account number.
 30. Thesystem of claim 28, wherein the subscription data includes a productidentifier.
 31. The system of claim 28, wherein the subscription dataincludes a quantity.
 32. The system of claim 28, wherein thesubscription data includes an expiration date.
 33. The system of claim28, wherein the subscription data includes a plurality of expirationdates.
 34. The system of claim 28, wherein said means for receivingpayment for the subscription further comprises means for receiving theredemption code from a user.
 35. The system of claim 28, wherein saidmeans for receiving payment for the subscription further comprises meansfor providing the redemption code to a user.
 36. The system of claim 28,wherein the subscription for the plurality of items comprises asubscription for a plurality of different products.
 37. The system ofclaim 28, wherein the redemption code includes a debit or credit accountnumber.
 38. The system of claim 28, further comprising:means forverifying the received redemption code.
 39. The system of claim 38,wherein said means for verifying comprises:means for verifying that thereceived redemption code matches one of a plurality of stored redemptioncodes.
 40. The system of claim 38, wherein said means for verifyingcomprises:means for verifying that a subscription associated with thereceived redemption code has not expired.
 41. The system of claim 38,wherein said means for verifying comprises:means for verifying inventoryinformation with respect to a product associated with the receivedredemption code.